Machine for removing the pulp or core in coconuts and the like



1,512,790 B. MULLER MACHINE FOR REMOVING THE PULP OR CORE IN COCONUTS AND LIKE Filed Jan. 24 1924 S SheetS-Shut i J11 veniar: Bruno filial! Get. 21 1924. n

B. MULLER MACHINE FOR REMOVING THE PULP OR CORE.IN COCONUTS AND THE LIKE Fflad Ja 24 1924 a Sheets-She 2 Z W .1 7%, a m JMM/ W7 B. MULLER MACHINE FOR REMOVING THE PULP OR CORE IN COCONUTS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 24, 192

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 In 72 for: Bruno Muller x 1/?{jmmb5am A66 rag] Patented Oct. 21, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

BRUNO MfiLLE-R, OF IBERLIN-NEUKOLLN, GERMANY.

MACHINE FOR REIVIOVING THE PULP OR CORE IN COCONUTS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed January 24, 1924. Serial No. 688,332.--

To all whom it may concern.

Be-it known that I, BRUNO MtiLLnR. a citizen of Germany, and a resident of 171 Weserstrasse, in the city of Berlin-Neukolln, Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Machine for Removing the Pulp "or Core in Coconuts and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to a machine for removing the core of coconuts and the like, and for separating the same from the shell, and it is one of the objects of my invention to remove the core or kernel of the fruit in slices particularly adapted for .the extractionof oil therefrom as well as for other purposes, and the invention is also intended to simplify and facilitate the process of extraction of the core from the shell,

and to generally improve the construction of machines of the kind referred to. As heretofore practised coconuts have been treated for the extraction of the core by causing a series of radially arranged knives of a cutter to become engaged with the cavity of the pulp side of the nut which is retained in position by any suitable gripping means, the knives upon the rotation of the cutter penetrating into the pulp from the interior of the nut and being advanced to the inner wall of the hard shell, so as to become uniformly engaged with the pulp and thereby severing the same from the shell. There is the drawback, however, that with the devices heretofore in use the pulp could only be obtained in slices of substantially diamond-shaped area which is not very convenient for further treatment. Now, in view thereof in accordance with my invention means are provided to first push the knives into the pulp up to the shell of the nut, before they are r0tated,the' pulp or core being then split off clean from the shell, yielding strips of more convenient size than hereto-fore obtained; and among other objects it is an important advantage accomplished by the machine according to my invention that the removal of the core or kernel is considerably facilitated and the time required therefor is shortened, so that a greater efiiciency and output is obtained than with other machines of the kind referred to.

I Myinvention will be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing, showing by way of example a form of embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows machine according to my invention in longitudinal. section'with the outer casing removed, and in'the position before starting the operation. Figure 2 shows likewise a longitudinal section upon the termination of the cutting movement and at right angle At some distance above the shaft 2 a cross bar 4: is secured to the frame, which cross bar serves for the guiding of push rod 5 and for the mounting-of the gear shafts 6. Further up on the frame 1 the guide ring 7 for the knife stems is attached. The said frame also serves as a means of mounting the: rotatable seating hood 8, and as a means of mounting the support 9 for the fruit gripping means. For the seating of the fruit a kind of cupola 10 is provided at the apex 'of the seating hood 8, the cup'ola being of a size to substantially correspondto the interior cavity of the fruit pulp. The previously split fruit is retained in position'by the gripping means mounted in the support 9, and comprising a hand operated lever 11 provided with gripping means 11 and two additional gripping arms 12. all three of which are coupled to each other by racks or toothed segments or the like in engagement with each other. Upon depressing the hand lever 11 the gripper arms 12 are simultaneously lowered thereby seizingthe fruit from the outer or bast side thereof and pressing against the shell of the fruit while it is secured in position by being seated upon the cupola 10 and upon the shoulders 13 of the pulp of the coco or copra nut, and then to sever it from the hard shell. During the first half of this stroke the radially disposed knives penetrate from the interior'through the pulp as far as the hardshelhan'd therethe" Vertical position,

' ating and controlling arm 14 is keyed which serves. for causing the cutting movement by the operation of the pushing bar 5. To the left and right of this arm 14 the segmental rack arms 15' are'mounted for effecting the rotation of the parts of machinery for the separation of the core or pulp from the shelL.

Inthe initial position and at the starting ofthe movement ofthe operating parts the treadle B is about horizontally disposed, and the operating arm 14 is approximately in i The said arm 14L possesses a recess 21 for the accommodation of thestu d 1 6 of the pushing bar Nithin thisrecess- 21 a; steering lever or tongue 18 is rotatably seated on a pivot 17 and of such shape that the pivot 16 of the push bar 5 is freeto move between the tongue 18 and i the inner walls of the recess 21. The rotating pivot 17 of the steering tongue 18- is extended tothe outside, and on its projecting portion it carries an arm 19 with oscillatable weight 20, so that the steering tongue [18 has always the tendency of being rotated clockwise, In the initial position the steering. stud 16 of the push bar .5 assumes its lowestpositionjin the recess 21 in the proraimity of the treadle 3. During the first half part of the stroke of the treadle 3 the steering stud 16 moves along the, upper side of the steering tongue, and slides upv to. about the middle part of the recess. The stud is thereby being moved. upwards to. correspond with the configuration of the tongue, and simuitaneously therewith the push .bar is raised and has now assumed its highest positioin During the'second half of the stroke of the treaclle the steering stud 16 slides along, the left hand side of the steering .tongue 18 which latter by the operation .of

steering arm 14 is progressively moved towards the right while the left hand eX- i treinityoi the tongue 18 is now caused to bear upon the lower wall of the recess 21, as soon asthe stud 16. has moved past the rotating stud 1? of the steering tongue, No further raising of the pushing bar 5 takes place during this second half of the stroke,

i iyiex yz of the fact that the left hand port on of the tongue 18- in the position it assumes" upon rotation constitutes a some -what {horizontal path for the steering .I 1 T p h her 5 for effecting-the new??? radially disposed knives' 2T of the knives is guided in the cross bar t and otherwise at its lower encl which is.

fork shaped and straddles the shaft 2. Above the cross bar 4 the bar 5 is grooved, and in this grooved portion a piece of tubing 22 is loosely but accurately fitted. In the upper portion of the tubing 22 a plunger 23 is movably arranged the stem 25 of which is provided at its top with a cross shaped knife 26. In the interior of the tube and between the bar 5 and the plunger 28 a. spring 24 is disposed as a resilient or elastic connecting member.

downwards and are mounted around the tubing 22 in recesses of the flange 30 of the tubing 22. and are supported by springs 20 which bear against the said flange 30. An-

other series of knives 31 are connected to the stems 32 which are. linked to the stems 28 of the outer series of knives 27. -The stems 32 are forced outwards by springs 33 secured to the plunger 23. Other springs .34: are fastened to the stems 32 adapted to force theknives 27 outwards. The stems 32' rest against the back sides of the knives,27,, and the stems 28- bear with their projections-35 against the inclined inner side wall of the guideringj 7 Upon the raising of the pushing bar during the first half of the stroke, as above described, the, knife stems; 25, 28, ,32 with their corresponding knives are pushed upwards, the projections 35- sliding, along the guide ring 7, and the entire system of levers and knives is' spreadbyjthe, action of the pressure of the springs 3.3,v 34.. Theknives project from the seating cupola l0 through the guideslots 36, until they strikev the inneu wall of the shell. During the secondhalf of the stroke of the pushbar the pulp. or core is detached from the shell. inconsequence of the rotation of the cutter" head and of the seating hood 8, by. which means the pulp or core is burst off from the shell. llymeans of the toothed segments 15 .the rotation of the treadle shaft 2 is tran$1nitted to the gear Wheels. 37 of the pinion shafts The stems 28 of the are extendeii- 6, as soon as stops 45 an. the gear Wheels 37 become-engaged with stops 16 on the shafts 6. These gear; wheelsor pinions- 37 or the like are mounted on the shafts'6 in such a manner that during the first half of the stroke of the treadle they rotate freely upon h a the shafts 6',- While .durin the second half of the stroke the wheels 3 become engaged with projections or studs on the shafts 6,'so as to effect a kind"o-f;coupli ng. To the shafts 6 are also keyed the gear wheels 38 in engagement with the toothed segments of the flanges 30 of the knife carrier; and there are also keyed to the top portion of the shafts 6 the gear wheels or pinions 40 which in their turn arein engagement with the rack segments all: Qt sweat n 11 964 8.

On the commencement of the second half of the stroke the rotation. of the shaft 6 and consequently 01": the cutter and of theseating hood 8 is started, and, this rotation is continued until the downward stroke o'l the trcadle is finished, and the machine has reassumed the position shown in Figure- 2 of the drawing. The stud 16 has now become clear of the steering tongue 18 which now oscillates back into its tree position. Upon the release of the pressure on the treadle the machine under the influence of the counterweight 42, or of a spring or the like, is returned 'to its initial position shown in Figure l. During this return movement the stud 16 slides along the lower wall of the recess 21 to theextreme position to the right, and thereby lifts the right hand arm of the steering tongue 18 which, after the stud has passed, drops back into its inactive position.

The grippers 11, 12 are now opened, and the hall coco-nut shell is removed; the pulp or core slides from the shell onto the hood 8 and thence downwards, and drops into a collecting trough or a chute surrounding the machine, but not shown in the drawings.

It should, of course, be understood that the invention is not confined to the embodiment shown as an exemplification thereof, but modifications and changes may occur, as the varying conditions of its application, the nature of the material under treatment and the convenience of the operator may direct, and without deviating from. the spirit of my invention as specified in the claims hereunto appended. It should be pointed out in this connection that the steering member 1& may be replaced by any other equivalent cam member, and any other suitable operating means may be used in place of a treadle or the like.

I claim 1. In a decorticating and depulping machine in combination, means of seating the fruit, cutting means adapted to enter the interior of the fruit, means to impart a pushing and cuneiform movement to said cutting means, and means to impart a rotating movement to the cutting and seating means subsequent to said cuneiform movement.

2. In a decorticating and depulping ma chine in combination, means of seating the fruit, bursting means engageable with said seating means and adapted to enter the interior of the fruit, means for imparting a pushing and cuneiform movement to said bursting means, and means to impart a rotating movement to said bursting and seating means subsequent to said pushing and cuneifrom movement.

3. In a decorticat-ing and depulping machine in combination, means of seating the fruit, gripping means, displaceable relatively to said seating means, bursting and severing means engageable with the 1 said seating means andadapted to enter the interior- 0f the fruit, substantially cam operated means for imparting a pushing and substantially wedge-like movement to said bursting and severing means, and means to impart a rotary movement to said bursting and severing means and to said seating means subsequent to the pushing and wedge-like movement. 7

a. In a decorticating and depulping machine in combination, means of seating the fruit, gripping means, displaceable relatively to said seating means, bursting and severing means engageable with said seating means'and adapted to enter the interior of the'fruit, a cam lever, and a tilting guide on said cam lever, spring influenced pushing means in engagement with said guide, and voperatively connected to said bursting and severing means, operating means for said cam lever, and means actuated by said lever operating means for imparting a rotary movement. to said bursting and severing means and to said seating means subsequent to the operation of the pushing means.

5. In a decorticating and depulping machine in combination, means of seating the fruit, gripping means displaceable with relation to said seating means, spring influenced laterally extensible bursting and severing means engageable with the seating means, and adapted to enter the interior of the fruit, substantially cam operated means for imparting a pushing and substantially wedge-like movement to said bursting and severing means, and means to impart a rotary movement to said bursting and seven ing means and to said seating means subsequent to the pushing and wedge-like movement.

6. In a decorticating and depulping machine in combination, means of seating the fruit, inter-engaging gripping means displaceable with relation to said seating means, cutting means engageable with said seating means, and radially extensible op erating means for said cutting means, and means to impart a substantially pushing movement to said cutting means during part of the movement of said operating means, and means to rotate the cutting means and the seating means during the remaining part of the movement of said operating means.

7. In a machine of the kind described, in combination, seating means for the fruit, gripping means displaceable with relation to the seating means, interior and exterior spring-influenced, radially extensible cutting means engageable with the seating means, and adapted to enter the interior of the fruit, substantially cam shaped operating means for the cutting means, rotating means operatively connected to the cutting lneans and" t0 the seating means, and means on the cam shaped; operating means engageable with the rotating means during part of the movement of the cam shaped. operating me an s.

8; In a machine of the kind describfid, seating means for the fruit, a push 120d, a

tubing slidably and ,rotatebly surrennding Isaid push red, at plunger Within said tubing means, and rotating means; 017 he s itting and Seat/111g means, engageabli w th, th steering means,

9. In a machine, oi the. kind. described,

mounting means, for the fruit, interior knives engageable with the central pgrtiqn of the mounting means, :11 pl u gality- 0i; exterior cutting means; engageable, with the t r p r ion oi he mounting mea s and linked to; the nter mknives, exie ly' dis: p b e guid ng means ten he inter m kn v nd: n lined guiding m ns: t the ex io'r Q ittingme nsi Op r ing-m ans o th knives and. exterier cutting mea -seem eans, adapted to impart a r t ry movement tov h mou ng me n end; t the kn e eutting me ns Ben-N0 

